I dont no what to do

so i am new at this i had one plant last year but when it was done it smelled like corn and tasted like corn to. but is was covered in crystals and stuff but i was just nasty tasting.

and this year i have about 8 plants they are only like 2-3in tall. and i am using 2 20 watt 60hz grow lights "they are the 24in ones u can buy at Mal- Mart" and 1 compact fluorescent twist bulb. and i am wondering is this is good or if i need a HPS bulb or what should i do.

your plants will grow with what you have, but you need more cfl's for 8 plants. If you want more bud from the plants, you should get a hps. I use a 150 watt with a 4 pot DWC. It will grow 4 plants, but I only end up with 1-3 females and its enough power for me. For 8 females,you would at least need a 400 watt hps for good bud production.

If you want to do it right by a hps sytsem for the flower stage.

I use two 6500k daylight four foot fluorescent tubes for vegging. The unit was $15 and the two bulbs were $10.00.

No such thing as doing it right logansmith. Everyone has their own preferences. If I were this guy I would choose to use CFL's. It's only his first real grow attempt. If he isn't satisfied with the results then maybe he'll make the decision to dump CFL's and try new lighting.

I would rather veg and flower under CFL's. I used to use an HPS and i hated it so much that it sits in a box in the attic now. Give me ten or fifteen CFL's and I'm much happier.

Either way you definately need more light than you have.

question what is dwc.

Okay so i should use the 6500k daylight from now until they start to flower.
and then switch to the hps when they start to flower. and i can only find the 40 watt hps bulbs everywhere i go, so can i use like two of those.
and where can i find the 6500k bulbs.

I forgot to mention that my plants are just starting they aren't clones.
they just sprouted like 2 or 2 1/2 weeks ago.






and these are some i have starting.

lol, try using dixie cups, 1 plant per cup.

mal-crane,
can i just use like 5-10 clf bulbs.

Definately go buy yourself some pots or dixie cups, you don't want your seeds to all sprout in the same pot. And yes 5-10 cfl bulbs are fine depending on how many plants you plan to grow.

Ganji is right about only putting one plant in each. You need to do that so the roots won't get tangled later on. Try and get them seperated now because it will get harder as the plants develop. Good luck and let us know if you have any other questions.

By the way, DWC is deep water culture, its a different form of growing if your interested check out the GROW FAQ, it has a lot of good tips about growing.

cool thanks for all your guys help.
i will post pics like once a week.

Your last crop tasted like poo because you must not have cured it right.

When should I start using Miracle Grow or should I use feterlizer rods or plant food or cow poo.... haha well i dunno should i not use it at all?
please let me know. thanks.

hey josh, pm me if you want some 1 on 1 advice

I wouldn't think about using chemical fertilizers just yet. Most soils give the plant enough nutrients to last it a few weeks. Can't wait to see your grow.

so should i just wait until they start to flower before i use fertilizer.

2 more questions
when will i be able to tell the males from the females.

and what is the best light cycle to use. i am using 18 on and 6 off for now.
and i read this on thseeds.com
and then when flowering starts i will do the whole 36 hours off. and then i will start a 12 on 12 off cycles.

thanks for all your guys help.

Personally I would want to wait at least til the 5th node or 3-4 weeks to use the fertilizer. I personally grow organicly now but using chemical ferts are fine for a first grow just don't overdo it. And don't start your plants off at full dosage of fertilizer. Try to start feeding them 1/4 of what your label will say.

Many people here will tell you use 24hr lighting during vegetation but my personal opinion is to never use 24hr lighting unless you spend the extra money to buy feminised seeds. It's proven that less light gives more females. Keep your plants on an 18/6 cycle.

Depending on how large of plants you would like, you can begin using 12/12 lighting at any time to make them flower. If you want short plants and a quick product you can start flowering before the first month of veg, but it will also decrease your yield dramatically. If you want a high yield you can veg the plant for as long as you want. An ideal veg period is between 1 and 2 months indoor.

Using 12/12 lighting, you will be able to tell whether or not your plants are male or female. Within one to three weeks of switching to 12/12 lighting you will be able to tell the sex of the plants. Males will have little pollen pods and females will begin to produce white hairs or pistils. Discard the males as soon as they are found unless you plan on doing breeding experiments.

thanks thats a lot of help.

you dont really need to do the 36 hour thing,when you change to 12/12 ya plants will know whats up,but its up2 you man,everyone has there own way of doing things!and imo hids are always the best lights to use.